FROM DORA DOG TO D DOG and a THOUGHTFUL WANDERER MILESTONE

POST # 344

And just like that, I've had to say so long (for now) to Dora dog, and welcome a new four-legged friend into my life.  Her name is Dee Dee, but she goes by D dog for short.

She's pretty cute and very easy to get along with, but if the truth be known, I have come to put Dora dog at the top of my favourite boneheads list.  There are so many to chose from, and I can't really put my finger on exactly why Dora dog is at the top, but she just is.

However, in the meantime, I am more than happy to spend time with D dog, and get to know her view of the world.  As you can probably tell, she's very relaxed most of the time, and there have been moments during this sit, that I don't even know she's around.  She finds one of her favourite sleeping spots (she has plenty), and just slinks off when I'm not looking, in order to have another nap.  

 I arrived at my current location last Wednesday, and spent the evening with D's owners in order to go over any last minute details that I would need to know about this current house sit.  Mind you, I've been doing this full-time  for almost seven and a half years at this point, so I know the ropes. However, each sit has its own special list of things to know, so it's good to have the opportunity to find out what they are, while the owners are still here.  It also gives the pet an opportunity to get to know me in the owner's presence.  Some pets need more time than others.  D dog is not one of those.  I became her new best friend after only a few moments, which makes for a very easy time for the both of us.

In only a few short days, we have settled into a  comfortable routine, with three walks per day, one of which is a beach walk which is my favourite, and D dog acts as though it is her favourite as well.  After all, there are so many wonderful things to sniff at along the beach.  She uses her nose, and I use my eyes, but we both enjoy the time we spend while wandering along the sea shore.

Whether it's Dora dog or D dog, after a good walk, it's time to have a rest, and they both have this down to a fine art.

It's a dog's life after all.  Fortunately for the dog sitter, I've come across a new book while here, which is a fascinating read, and should help me in the future when it comes to understanding these boneheads even better than I do at the moment. I can highly recommend it.  With this new knowledge, the four legged critters won't be able to take advantage of me any more.  :-)

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Photo from a tourist brochure. That's me departing from the Hornby Street Dock

Now let's move on to the last half of the title of today's blog.  Some people recognize me as the "date guy" and yesterday, January 27th just happened to be another one of those dates for me.  It was my very final day of paid employment, and at the time I was working at what had become my favourite occupation, that of a ferry boat skipper for the company called Aquabus in Vancouver.  As was my preferred option, I had the afternoon/closing shift, and it felt rather strange as I headed to the back dock for the final time, having said goodbye to the other skippers on the radio just prior to docking.  If memory serves, I think that there were a few beers consumed at the Arts Club on Granville Island afterwards, with some other Aquabusers.  And that all happened in 2009, so it's now been an entire decade plus one day.  I had no idea where my path would lead after that, but I can say with all sincerity that I am happy with the way things have turned out since that day.  Now, every life has its ups and downs, but from my point of view, the good has more than outweighed the bad since then.  Of course, I am tied to this culture like everyone else (but to a lesser extent than most), hence I still have to spend money to get through another day/week/month and year.  Without an income for an entire decade, the balance sheet has been steadily depleting, and I often joke to others that it's a race between whether I run out of money first, or I die first.  The jury is still out on that.  Thankfully my parents lived a frugal life, and I have followed in their footsteps in that regard, which has helped to keep this unpaid streak going for a while longer, and certainly longer than I would have anticipated at the beginning.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to do what I do, and try to appreciate all of the blessings that I have enjoyed up to and including today.

maximizing my moments,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer